Mobile ad-hoc networks have become increasingly important in areas where deployment of communication infrastructure is difficult. A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is formed by multiple moving nodes equipped with wireless transceivers. The mobile nodes communicate with each other through multi-hop wireless links. Each node can transmit and receive information.
One type of MANET is a vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) that refers to a mobile ad-hoc network designed to provide communications among nearby vehicles and between vehicles and nearby road-side units.
The high mobility and lack of inherent relationships between vehicle nodes make a priori configuration of vehicle nodes into groups problematic. Information such as traffic advisories, Amber alerts, road condition advisories, and weather advisories, etc. should be relayed to all vehicles quickly, with minimal delay and interference. Additionally, if the fixed equipment, such as a road-side unit, is sporadically deployed, communication via the road-side units and the vehicles node could be highly intermittent. Each vehicle does not have a long duration for the network link between another moving vehicle or a road-side unit. A vehicle can only communicate with another vehicle or road-side unit when the vehicle is in radio communication range of the road-side unit or other vehicle. Since the vehicles are moving at high speeds, the communication duration are normally short and highly variable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a communications network and method that support vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-RSUs communication in such a disruptive environment.